Tom
Well-Known Member
Welcome to Unit 4! I hope you all enjoy your stay.
This is my first foray into SARP GMing in about 3 years. I've run a lot of tabletop sessions, however, so I don't think this should be any problem. However, I want to be clear with the players about some things.
It is essential that I enjoy running the plot. There have been many burnouts on SARP, and I feel these mainly result from the GM just losing interest in the plot they are running. Therefore, my golden rule is to have fun running the plot while providing my players with an enjoyable experience. That way it doesn't have to ever feel like a chore.
There are several reasons a police plot appeals to me:
1) It's a 'grounded' type of plot and easily understandable to those of us not tech-oriented. No crazy starships or technologies to deal with.
2) The 'human' element. Unlike a military plot, characters in this plot will be interacting with civilians almost every day. The people they help or hurt have a real face to them, their daily activities have a visible and immediate impact.
3) Grit and realism. Characters in the plot won't have the assistance of MEGAMI, SANDRA, etc in dealing with their situations. Nor will there be quick access to hemosynthetic regeneration tanks, Soul Savior Pods, etc. Things will mainly be decided by the character's wits and socializing. Danger becomes much more real as well.
I could go on and on, but you get the point.
Anyway, here are some notes on my approach to the plot:
-Unit 4 has a poor reputation. It's viewed as a dead-end job and even cursed for a reason. Those who join up are not the 'shining' examples of perfectionism and merit: those people go to different, more successful departments. Maybe your character is a rookie or maybe he/she has some kind of quirk which makes him/her less than perfect as an officer. Use the opportunity to be creative!
Although the unit's reputation is low, so is the YNP's expectations for the Unit. With lowered responsibilities come more flexibility in how cases are solved, more lenience when mistakes are made, and more getting left alone. If the team does well, not only will members rise up the ranks, but they will enhance the team's reputation over time as well.
For now, however, Unit 4 is somewhat of a group of misfits.
-Not every case is going to be a huge deal, double homicide / slave trading / terrorism situation. Not only is it terribly unrealistic given Yamatai's fairly clean slate crime wise, but it makes things terribly hard for me as a GM. If you're always saving the world, what else can I throw at you?
-Expect episodic approaches until I find something nice and deep to sink my teeth into.
-Characterization will be essential to the plot. This is not a military plot. High speed chases and shootouts are things that all cops are trying to AVOID. I'll try to introduce action-oriented scenes where possible, but NPC interaction and character development will most likely be the order of the day. I will do my damndest to have interesting, fleshed out NPCs that you can get to know and interact with.
Other notes:
-I am open to JPing and can be found on the IRC under the name Tom_P.
-If a player doesn't post in 5 days without warning, I will auto their character. In situations where we are moving at a very steady clip, this may be shortened. If this is the case, I will not cause your character permanent harm (but don't suddenly drop off the map in the middle of a gunfight!)
-I will try to post every day or 2. I find that this will keep me from losing interest.
-Not every post will be a masterpiece. I've written single posts over 3000 words and been in JPs that measure about 10000 words. One thing I can tell you from this is that if you hold yourself up to a standard like this every time you write something, you will burn yourself out quickly. Hopefully, we will have moments that will draw out the best of your writing talents, but, for now, consistency in posting rate is just as important.
-I am always open for opinions and ideas. Do not hesitate to send me a PM at any time.
With that out of the way, let's rock!
This is my first foray into SARP GMing in about 3 years. I've run a lot of tabletop sessions, however, so I don't think this should be any problem. However, I want to be clear with the players about some things.
It is essential that I enjoy running the plot. There have been many burnouts on SARP, and I feel these mainly result from the GM just losing interest in the plot they are running. Therefore, my golden rule is to have fun running the plot while providing my players with an enjoyable experience. That way it doesn't have to ever feel like a chore.
There are several reasons a police plot appeals to me:
1) It's a 'grounded' type of plot and easily understandable to those of us not tech-oriented. No crazy starships or technologies to deal with.
2) The 'human' element. Unlike a military plot, characters in this plot will be interacting with civilians almost every day. The people they help or hurt have a real face to them, their daily activities have a visible and immediate impact.
3) Grit and realism. Characters in the plot won't have the assistance of MEGAMI, SANDRA, etc in dealing with their situations. Nor will there be quick access to hemosynthetic regeneration tanks, Soul Savior Pods, etc. Things will mainly be decided by the character's wits and socializing. Danger becomes much more real as well.
I could go on and on, but you get the point.
Anyway, here are some notes on my approach to the plot:
-Unit 4 has a poor reputation. It's viewed as a dead-end job and even cursed for a reason. Those who join up are not the 'shining' examples of perfectionism and merit: those people go to different, more successful departments. Maybe your character is a rookie or maybe he/she has some kind of quirk which makes him/her less than perfect as an officer. Use the opportunity to be creative!
Although the unit's reputation is low, so is the YNP's expectations for the Unit. With lowered responsibilities come more flexibility in how cases are solved, more lenience when mistakes are made, and more getting left alone. If the team does well, not only will members rise up the ranks, but they will enhance the team's reputation over time as well.
For now, however, Unit 4 is somewhat of a group of misfits.
-Not every case is going to be a huge deal, double homicide / slave trading / terrorism situation. Not only is it terribly unrealistic given Yamatai's fairly clean slate crime wise, but it makes things terribly hard for me as a GM. If you're always saving the world, what else can I throw at you?
-Expect episodic approaches until I find something nice and deep to sink my teeth into.
-Characterization will be essential to the plot. This is not a military plot. High speed chases and shootouts are things that all cops are trying to AVOID. I'll try to introduce action-oriented scenes where possible, but NPC interaction and character development will most likely be the order of the day. I will do my damndest to have interesting, fleshed out NPCs that you can get to know and interact with.
Other notes:
-I am open to JPing and can be found on the IRC under the name Tom_P.
-If a player doesn't post in 5 days without warning, I will auto their character. In situations where we are moving at a very steady clip, this may be shortened. If this is the case, I will not cause your character permanent harm (but don't suddenly drop off the map in the middle of a gunfight!)
-I will try to post every day or 2. I find that this will keep me from losing interest.
-Not every post will be a masterpiece. I've written single posts over 3000 words and been in JPs that measure about 10000 words. One thing I can tell you from this is that if you hold yourself up to a standard like this every time you write something, you will burn yourself out quickly. Hopefully, we will have moments that will draw out the best of your writing talents, but, for now, consistency in posting rate is just as important.
-I am always open for opinions and ideas. Do not hesitate to send me a PM at any time.
With that out of the way, let's rock!
